Post originally by Character_Morlis Desiderio

It was done. Salome was taken. He'd seen it with his own eyes, The Infernal pulling him from his sleep to witness Najia physically taking his little Salome. No he wasn't there in person, his consciousness had been drawn from his dream state to witness the claiming of his daughter by the Princess. Would he have fought it had he been there? Once he would have said yes but now...now he knew better. He was a demon, it was what he was whether others liked it or not, and the fact that she was his daughter meant very little in the realm of Hell. He had made his decision and he would stand by it.

It didn't take long for rumors to get around that Salome Desiderio, the Mistress of the Siren's Corner, had been taken concubine by the Princess. Gossip mongers ran rampant within Aleris though at least now it was not his own daughter, Sarine, spreading the rumors about him and his family. Sarine had already been taken by Stativare, now Salome by Najia. When it got back to his other children that he had bartered Salome away for the return of his concubine, Xantara, they were less than happy with him. Furious would be more like it. Antonio was the worst though Morlis strongly suspected a good chunk of his anger was in finding his work room destroyed by Stativare, the remnants of his physical domination of Sarine apparent in the energy left behind. Antonio's fury had been awesome to behold when he'd learned of Sarine's capture and her apparent willingness to be taken. Then word had reached him of Salome and confronting Morlis had learned that the rumors were true.

Morlis was a convenient outlet for his fury over Sarine though his anger over Salome was quite real as well. Within hours he had gathered the remaining Desiderio offspring, Ilario and Carese standing behind Antonio, his concubine Rain standing with them all as he informed Morlis he could not, would not, stay with a man who would sell his own children and apparently Ilario and Carese agreed though Carese wasn't much of a surprise considering she was Salome's twin. They departed the villa in Aleris, leaving Morlis alone in the large estate with his concubines the imp Tessa, and Talisy Aensland (recently acquired). Ballade had vanished weeks before as had the girls Azurelle and Ariadne though both women were welcome to stay behind if they chose. He was always looking for beautiful women to grace his home.

Though Antonio had not told him where he intended to go he strongly suspected his son would seek refuge with Morlis' sister, Cahira, in Eternelle Lune. He'd grown up among her kumpania and it was as much home for him as anywhere else and of course, where Antonio went, Ilario followed. Carese went her own way, though, and he wondered briefly where she was off too but put the thought from his mind. He was no longer playing the role of Father and where they went was of no concern to him. The manor was quiet without them present but he didn't seem to mind, the empty rooms would be easily filled with his women, those he chose to summon to him of course. Perhaps Alidia....maybe Discord...oh she would be furious with him no doubt but that didn't bother him. He had no problem tying her down as she well remembered. Perhaps even Caressa. Maybe even in time his sister Medora would join him though no one knew where she'd disappeared too.

It was early morning when she arrived home. He'd been sleeping when one of the servants announced the approach of a woman in a black carriage drawn by horses that were guided by no visible hand. He knew instantly it was Stativare's conveyance and withdrawing from the tangle of limbs in his bed he made his way downstairs to wait in the foyer. He arrived just as the door was opening to admit Xantara and he smiled, the return of his concubine a happy event for him in spite of what he had to sacrifice to gain her return. Oddly enough it didn't seem to bother him, what he'd had to do to gain her freedom (or at least her freedom from Stativare, if not him) and moving forward he swept the concubine into his arms, holding her close, his hands already exploring her body possessively. He behaved as if she'd never left and in his newly altered mindset she never had.

He was different now..more demon than man, and he had no intentions of ever going back to harboring such weaknesses again.